Betti and Dick Robinson create first endowed professorship for early childhood extension at UNL

Betti and Dick Robinson create first endowed professorship for early childhood extension at UNL

The gift supports the important work of faculty members who share early childhood education and welfare knowledge to others across Nebraska.

Posted:
Fri, Jun 24, 2016

The first endowed professorship of its kind at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been announced to support faculty members in early childhood education who focus on extension and outreach across Nebraska.

Betti and Dick Robinson of Norfolk established the Betti and Richard Robinson Professorship of Early Childhood in Extension with a gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation.

The permanently endowed fund enables the university to award annual stipends for support of faculty salaries, academic programs, operational support and outreach activities associated with child education extension efforts.

The Robinson Professor will work collaboratively with the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences, Nebraska Extension within the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the University of Nebraska’s Buffett Early Childhood Institute.

Marjorie Kostelnik, interim senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and former dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, said children represent our future and for Nebraska to be successful our children must be successful as well.

“The Robinson Professorship will help ensure that early childhood professionals and families of young children will have access to the latest information to support this aim,” Kostelnik said. “We are grateful to Betti and Dick Robinson for their foresight in making possible this targeted focus on young children.”

Charles Hibberd, dean and director of Nebraska Extension, said the university is committed to helping Nebraska’s children grow and thrive and that the Robinson Professorship helps to accomplish this mission.

“Nebraska needs talented and productive faculty who can help design and deliver high quality educational programs focused on the needs of our children,” Hibberd said. “The Betti and Richard Robinson Professorship of Early Childhood in Extension will position us to retain and attract that kind of talent. We are most appreciative of the Robinsons’ vision to help our faculty be successful.”

Betti and Dick Robinson, trustees of the University of Nebraska Foundation, are longtime supporters of the University of Nebraska and avid advocates for early childhood education.

Betti Robinson is a community volunteer and former kindergarten teacher who studied early childhood education at the University of Arizona. She is a past member of the board of directors for Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.

Dick Robinson is president of Norfolk Iron & Metal headquartered in Norfolk, a company founded by his grandfather in 1908. He became involved in managing the company after graduating from the University of Arizona in 1976.

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6/24/16

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Over the years of helping donors achieve their philanthropic goals we have developed a number of We Believe Statements to guide us. One of those beliefs is that higher education has the power to transform lives and communities.

We Believe

Over the years of helping donors achieve their philanthropic goals we have developed a number of We Believe Statements to guide us. One of those beliefs is that higher education has the power to transform lives and communities.

We Believe

Over the years of helping donors achieve their philanthropic goals we have developed a number of We Believe Statements to guide us. One of those beliefs is that higher education has the power to transform lives and communities.